Writer’s Block. Gah! Just typing the phrase makes my skin crawl —
a reaction I’m sure makes perfect sense to those for whom writing is compulsory.
It is for me and finding myself frozen in front of the keyboard without a clue as
to why the words won’t come is a nasty, horrible, utterly frustrating state of
affairs. Unfortunately, I’m not a novice when it comes to the phenomenon,
having found myself staring at a blank screen a number of times over the years.
Yet, knowing I’ll eventually make it through to the other side is of little
help while I’m waiting. I want to write. I NEED to write and none of the countless
tricks I’ve used in the past to overcome this painful lack of creativity seem
to be working.
So, I’ve decided to go back to the beginning. Back to those stories
that first touched my heart and lured me into the world of romance when I was
little more than a girl. Back to those paperbacks that claim a permanent place
on my re-read shelf. Here’s the plan: For the next seven days, I will be spending
my free time with some of my all-time favorite characters — old friends I’ve
neglected for far too long. I plan to immerse myself in sweeping adventures
that came from the creative and talented minds of none other than Linda Howard,
Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Johanna Lindsey, Nora Roberts and Elizabeth Lowell to
name a few. I’m talking classic romance, written in the 70s and 80s before I’d
ever heard of such things as plot development, linear vs non-linear, character
arcs, head-hops and dialog tags.
With a little luck, these old friends will remind me of why I
started writing romance in the first place, and if not, who cares? Re-reading a
favorite romance used to be one of my most enjoyable ways to pass an afternoon.
It’s time I got back to that bygone pleasure. I’ll let you know how the plan
works out, but in the meantime, what about you? Do you ever re-read or do those
new adventures waiting to be experienced claim your heart?
When Mac isn’t bashing her head against the
keyboard and cursing the dreaded writer’s block, she spends her time providing
happily-ever-afters for her sassy characters like Rylee Pierce, heroine of
